Seal component for fluid distribution system

Abstract

A seal component includes a cylindrical wall, a frustoconical wall extending inwardly from the cylindrical wall, and a seal plate enclosing the frustoconical wall. The seal plate includes a first removable panel and a second removable panel, the second removable panel disposed within an area of the first removable panel. A seal component includes a circumferential ridge circumscribing the second removable panel, the circumferential ridge integrally formed with the seal plate and removably coupled with at least the second removable panel. Additionally, the seal plate includes circumferential grooves and scoring lines that provide a cutting guide to facilitate cutting and removing at least one of the first and second removable panels.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A seal component, comprising:
 a cylindrical wall; 
 a frustoconical wall extending inwardly from the cylindrical wall; 
 a generally planar seal plate enclosing an inner end of the frustoconical wall, the seal plate including a first removable panel, a second removable panel, and a third removable panel, the third removable panel disposed within an area of the second removable panel and the second removable panel disposed within an area of the first removable panel; 
 a primary circumferential ridge circumscribing the second removable panel, the primary circumferential ridge integrally formed with the seal plate and removably coupled with at least the second removable panel, wherein the primary circumferential ridge includes a first circumferential ridge disposed on a first side of the seal plate immediately outboard of a reduced-thickness groove at a perimeter of the second removable panel, with an inner wall of the first circumferential ridge extending perpendicularly to the reduced-thickness groove, the primary circumferential ridge further comprising a second circumferential ridge disposed on a second, opposite side of the seal plate, a portion of the second circumferential ridge disposed outboard of the reduced-thickness groove at the perimeter of the second removable panel, the second circumferential ridge having an inner wall perpendicular to the seal plate, and the inner wall of the second circumferential ridge being radially inward of the inner wall of the first circumferential ridge, the second circumferential ridge having a lower height off the second side of the seal plate than a height of the first circumferential ridge off the first side of the seal plate; and 
 a secondary circumferential ridge circumscribing the third removable panel, the secondary circumferential ridge integrally formed with the seal plate and removably coupled with at least the third removable panel, wherein the secondary circumferential ridge includes a first circumferential ridge disposed on the first side of the seal plate immediately outboard of a reduced-thickness groove at a perimeter of the third removable panel, with an inner wall of the first circumferential ridge extending perpendicularly to the reduced-thickness groove at the perimeter of the third removable panel, the secondary circumferential ridge further comprising a second circumferential ridge disposed on the second side of the seal plate, a portion of the second circumferential ridge of the secondary circumferential ridge disposed outboard of the reduced-thickness groove at the perimeter of the third removable panel, the second circumferential ridge of the secondary circumferential ridge having an inner wall perpendicular to the seal plate, the inner wall of the second circumferential ridge of the secondary circumferential ridge being radially inward of the inner wall of the first circumferential ridge of the secondary circumferential ridge, and the second circumferential ridge of the secondary circumferential ridge having a lower height off the second side of the seal plate than a height of the first circumferential ridge of the secondary circumferential ridge off the first side of the seal plate. 
 
     
     
       2. The seal component of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first, second, and third removable panels is circular. 
     
     
       3. The seal component of  claim 2 , wherein the first, second, and third removable panels are not coaxial. 
     
     
       4. The seal component of  claim 1 , wherein each of the reduced-thickness grooves has associated therewith a respective cutting guide including a raised rib disposed on the seal plate that leads into, and is configured to guide a blade into, the associated reduced-thickness groove, the raised rib including a linear rib portion and a curved rib portion disposed between the linear rib portion and the associated reduced-thickness groove. 
     
     
       5. The seal component of  claim 1 , wherein the frustoconical wall is flexible. 
     
     
       6. The seal component of  claim 3 , wherein a base of each of the first, second, and third removable panels is approximately tangential with one another. 
     
     
       7. A method of using a seal component, comprising:
 providing the seal component having a cylindrical wall, a frustoconical wall extending inwardly from the cylindrical wall, a seal plate enclosing the frustoconical wall and including at least a first removable panel, a second removable panel, and a third removable panel, a primary circumferential ridge circumscribing the second removable panel, a first circumferential groove disposed radially inwardly relative to the primary circumferential ridge, and a second removable panel cutting guide on the seal plate at least partially perpendicular to the primary circumferential ridge, the primary circumferential ridge including a first circumferential ridge disposed on a first side of the seal plate immediately outboard of the first circumferential groove, with an inner wall of the first circumferential ridge extending perpendicularly to the circumferential groove, the primary circumferential ridge further comprising a second circumferential ridge disposed on a second, opposite side of the seal plate, a portion of the second circumferential ridge disposed outboard of the reduced-thickness groove at the perimeter of the second removable panel, the second circumferential ridge having an inner wall perpendicular to the seal plate, and the inner wall of the second circumferential ridge being radially inward of the inner wall of the first circumferential ridge, the second circumferential ridge having a lower height off the second side of the seal plate than a height of the first circumferential ridge off the first side of the seal plate, the second removable panel cutting guide including a raised rib disposed on the seal plate that leads into, and configured to guide a blade into, the first circumferential groove, a secondary circumferential rib circumscribing the third removable panel, a second circumferential groove disposed radially inwardly relative to the secondary circumferential ridge, and a third removable panel cutting guide on the seal plate at least partially perpendicular to the secondary circumferential ridge, the secondary circumferential ridge including a first circumferential ridge disposed on the first side of the seal plate immediately outboard of the second circumferential groove at a perimeter of the third removable panel, with an inner wall of the first circumferential ridge extending perpendicularly to the second circumferential groove, the secondary circumferential ridge further comprising a second circumferential ridge disposed on the second side of the seal plate, a portion of the second circumferential ridge of the secondary circumferential ridge disposed outboard of the second circumferential groove, the second circumferential ridge of the secondary circumferential ridge having an inner wall perpendicular to the seal plate, the inner wall of the second circumferential ridge of the secondary circumferential ridge being radially inward of the inner wall of the first circumferential ridge of the secondary circumferential ridge, and the second circumferential ridge of the secondary circumferential ridge having a lower height off the second side of the seal plate than a height of the first circumferential ridge of the secondary circumferential ridge off the first side of the seal plate; 
 cutting through the seal plate along one of the first removable panel cutting guide and the second removable panel cutting guide and along an associated one of the first circumferential groove or the second circumferential groove; 
 forming an aperture in the seal plate by removing the respective second removable panel or third removable panel from the seal plate; and 
 passing a pipe through the aperture formed in the seal plate. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein passing the pipe through the seal plate causing at least one of the frustoconical wall and the seal plate to flex. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 7 , wherein cutting through the seal plate along the cutting guide includes:
 inserting a blade through the seal plate linearly adjacent a linear rib of the cutting guide associated with the removable panel to be removed; and 
 advancing the inserted blade through the seal plate along a curved rib of the cutting guide associated with the removable panel to be removed, wherein the curved rib transitions the blade into cutting through the seal plate along the circumferential groove associated with the removable panel to be removed. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 7 , wherein removing the removable panel includes separating the seal plate from the frustoconical wall. 
     
     
       11. A seal component, comprising:
 a cylindrical wall; 
 a frustoconical wall extending inwardly from the cylindrical wall; 
 a seal plate enclosing the frustoconical wall, the seal plate including a first removable panel, a second removable panel, and a third removable panel, the third removable panel disposed within an area of the second removable panel and the second removable panel disposed within an area of the first removable panel; 
 a primary circumferential ridge circumscribing the second removable panel, the primary circumferential ridge integrally formed with the seal plate and removably coupled with at least the second removable panel; 
 a first circumferential groove adjacent the primary circumferential ridge, wherein the first circumferential groove is radially inwardly disposed relative to the primary circumferential ridge, wherein the primary circumferential ridge includes a first circumferential ridge disposed on a first side of the seal plate immediately outboard of the first circumferential groove, with an inner wall of the first circumferential ridge extending perpendicularly to the first circumferential groove, the primary circumferential ridge further including a second circumferential ridge disposed on a second side of the seal plate, a portion of the second circumferential ridge disposed outboard of the first circumferential groove, the second circumferential ridge having an inner wall perpendicular to the seal plate, and the inner wall of the second circumferential ridge being radially inward of the inner wall of the first circumferential ridge, the second circumferential ridge having a lower height off the second side of the seal plate than a height of the first circumferential ridge off the first side of the seal plate; 
 a secondary circumferential ridge circumscribing the third removable panel, the secondary circumferential ridge integrally formed with the seal plate and removably coupled with at least the third removable panel; and 
 a second circumferential groove adjacent the secondary circumferential ridge, wherein the second circumferential groove is radially inwardly disposed relative to the secondary circumferential ridge, wherein the secondary circumferential ridge includes a first circumferential ridge disposed on the first side of the seal plate immediately outboard of the second circumferential groove, with an inner wall of the first circumferential ridge extending perpendicularly to the second circumferential groove at the perimeter of the third removable panel, the secondary circumferential ridge further comprising a second circumferential ridge disposed on the second side of the seal plate, a portion of the second circumferential ridge of the secondary circumferential ridge disposed outboard of the second circumferential groove at the perimeter of the third removable panel, the second circumferential ridge of the secondary circumferential ridge having an inner wall perpendicular to the seal plate, the inner wall of the second circumferential ridge of the secondary circumferential ridge being radially inward of the inner wall of the first circumferential ridge of the secondary circumferential ridge, and the second circumferential ridge of the secondary circumferential ridge having a lower height off the second side of the seal plate than a height of the first circumferential ridge of the secondary circumferential ridge off the first side of the seal plate. 
 
     
     
       12. The seal component of  claim 11 , wherein each of the first, second, and third removable panels is circular and not coaxial. 
     
     
       13. The seal component of  claim 11 , wherein each of the first and second circumferential grooves is, in cross-section, a rectangular notch. 
     
     
       14. The seal component of  claim 11 , wherein the seal plate is integrally formed with the frustoconical wall. 
     
     
       15. The seal component of  claim 14 , further comprising an additional circumferential groove disposed between the seal plate and the frustoconical wall. 
     
     
       16. The seal component of  claim 12 , wherein a base of each of the first, second, and third removable panels is approximately tangential with one another. 
     
     
       17. The seal component of  claim 12 , wherein each of the first and second circumferential grooves has associated therewith a respective cutting guide including a raised rib disposed on the seal plate that leads into, and is configured to guide a blade into, the associated circumferential groove, the raised rib including a linear rib portion and a curved rib portion disposed between the linear rib portion and the associated circumferential groove.